After midnight, your pizza options are limited, aside from cold leftovers in the refrigerator. Westport's Joe's Pizza Buy The Slice is one of those few options. It's open until 1 a.m. most nights and 3 a.m. on the weekends.

It's a no-frills pizza joint which is actually the back of Kelly's bar. You can eat in "Joe's Pizza" or from inside Kelly's through their back window. The toppings are basic. Sausage, pepperoni, combo or veggie. A slice is $2 and so is the ATM fee if you didn't bring any cash ... but that's what you get in a thriving business community like Westport.

The best feature of this establishment is people-watching. Each table is crammed up against the glass front windows putting patrons on display for passers-by and vice versa. You see all types walking by, dictated by what's going on at Westport's shops, clubs, coffee houses and independent cinema. You'll see the "White Hats"...frat guys wearing white baseball hats featuring suggestive college names such as the "Cocks" or "Woodys". You'll see the club kids, the businessmen, the cowboys, skaters, moms and dads, Coffee Shop Hippies and homeless.

One night I visited Joe's when the Hair Metal Carnival that is "Jackyl" was performing just feet away in the Beaumont Club. Black jackets, leather pants, and mullets galore greeted me that night and every 10 minutes or so, you'd swear you heard thunder ... but on a cold February night it could only be a Killer Metal Bass sound check.

Pizza. That's the point here. Joe's is decent but nothing spectacular. Like something you'd get at the stadium. The location is right. The slices are big, the crust is crunchy and slightly buttery. There is only one type of crust at Joe's. One interesting feature is the pizza condiments: On each table you'll find Parmesan cheese, hot peppers and honey. I figure the honey is for dipping your crusts. I could be wrong, but have found it an effective way to get Parmesan cheese to stick to them.

If you're up late, Joe's is a good idea to have pizza, watch people and meet your friends for some dodge ball in the Westport Alleys ... if you're into that kind of thing. Oh, and if you prefer normal hours, Joe's has a pretty good lunch special and is a great place to kill time while waiting for a movie at the Tivoli. Word.

(Joe's Pizza Buy The Slice is located at 4058 Pennsylvania in Westport.)

Jones is a producer at a local television station and a free-lance graphic artist. All in all, he's a pretty successful young man who also enjoys visiting the indie pizza parlors.

If you would like to share any ideas, e-mail the publisher at indiepizza@yahoo.com or visit the Indie Pizza Message Board .